You might be surprised to learn that agility contests for cats is on the rise. Many people show up to the competitions because they can't believe it's even possible to train a cat to maneuver a predetermined course. They are amazed to see that some cats run the course quite efficiently, and are hugely entertained to see that sometimes, cats are just cats, and do whatever they feel like at the moment.
Here are a couple of interesting tidbits from the article:
- Trainers use clickers or toys on sticks to communicate which part of the course the cat should traverse.
- One cat was such a natural at doing the course that he ran it without props after the 11th time.
- Mail cats are more distractable than females, but the males will jump higher.
- Cat agility is a level playing field, where house cats and shelter kittens can be champions too.
A great quote:
"Some of the cats finished in two minutes, some didn't finish at all, some got distracted in the middle and went off on their own adventures,' says Bengal cat breeder Ree Hertzson, who saw her first agility competition at The International Cat Association show in Syracuse. "And the Persians would stop after a few seconds and lie around looking pretty."
Read full article: USA Today
